transfer of status on a new passport

[eso]

i have been awarded a 5 years visa in january 2008 .my wife is an EU citizen
i applied using my long expired passport .i have been issued a paper by the home office with my immigration status

i need to travel to switzerland next monday ( funeral ) .and need to endorse my new passport with the status urgently
this news came by surprise over the easter weekend
i am told that you can no longer queu at the HO .i have been trying to call but the telephone system dont seem to work
can someone tell me if there is a way out of this please
thanks

[paulp]

What visa did you get? Was it an EEA family permit?

As long as you show your old (with valid leave to remain) and new passports, you won't have any problem coming back into the country.

[eso]

hi
yes i have an eea family permit .however

old passport is 15 years old with leave expired in 1993 .
i understand that its not a problem to come back to the uk ,but a major burden entering one .
no schengen visa will be issued with this kind of setup ,although switzerland dont impose a visa on me .the consulate told me that only official stamps or stickers will be acknowledged at port of entry ,paper may be at the discretion of officer on duty
do you think i could go to the HO and ask them to stamp it ,as this is an emergency
i called workpermit.com but they say that they cant help
regards

[thsths]

no schengen visa will be issued with this kind of setup ,although switzerland dont impose a visa on me .the consulate told me that only official stamps or stickers will be acknowledged at port of entry ,paper may be at the discretion of officer on duty

That is a rather bizarre response.

First, do you have an EEA Family Permit or a Residence Card? You will need a residence card to document your right of residence, but it does not have to be in your passport. A separate document is just as valid.

Now the other question is whether you are travelling with your wife. If so, you are without any doubt covered by the European right of free movement, and you should have no problem. If not, you have to talk to the Swiss embassy, as the situation can be slightly more complex. Since you have a valid reason, I would assume that they are going to find a solution for you.

do you think i could go to the HO and ask them to stamp it ,as this is an emergency

Unfortunately that is not possible. If you want the sticker in your new passport, you will have to apply again.

Tom